>
The Peoples Democratic Party in Rivers State has petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, detailing alleged corrupt practices that took place under immediate past governor, Rotimi Amaechi.
The PDP Deputy Publicity Secretary in Rivers, Mr. Samuel Nwanosike, said since President Buhari had promised to maintain a zero tolerance for corruption, he should not be silent on how the past administration in Rivers managed the affairs of the state.
Speaking with journalists in Port Harcourt, Nwanosike urged the President not to spare anyone found culpable, adding that proceeds from some of the past transactions in the state could not be traced.
Reacting to statements credited to some members of the All Progressives Congress on the state of Rivers economy, Nwanosike lamented that the current administration in the state had to borrow to pay salary arrears, which the Amaechi administration failed to pay.
He dismissed the claims that some PDP members in the state were planning to defect to the APC, describing it as laughable.
He explained that a petition had been sent to the EFCC over the alleged fraudulent transactions involving the immediate past administration in the state between December 1 and 8, 2014.
His words: “Can you imagine that between December 1 and 8, 2014, with one address – 25 Trans-Amadi Road, Port Harcourt, over N21bn of Rivers funds were transferred? We are asking, where did these funds go?”
In his reaction, however, a former aide to Amaechi, Chief Tony Okocha, said Amaechi had never been afraid of probe, adding that the ex-governor was transparent in all he did for the people of the state.
Okocha explained that the PDP in the state was only interested in soiling the good name of the former governor and maintained that the party would not achieve such an aim.